Brain asymmetries related to language with emphasis on entorhinal cortex and basal forebrain

Anatomical asymmetries of the human brain are important in at least four respects: 1) they can serve as potential indicators of the evolutionary foundations of language, 2) they can be used for comparative analysis of neural specializations for communication in primates, 3) they may provide underlying structural correlates for functional imaging (fMRI, PET) and genetic studies, and finally 4) they can be used for studying disorders which are suspected to result from either disturbed development of cerebral asymmetry or asymmetric damage to the brain. In the first part of this review, we give a general framework of this field through the brief descriptions of the milestone discoveries and major conceptual advances as they emerged throughout the last 150 years. In the second part, we provide a more detailed view on the functional relevance that asymmetries of the entorhinal cortex and basal forebrain may have on the language

Forbidden induced subgraphs and the price of connectivity for feedback vertex set.

Let fvs(G) and cfvs(G) denote the cardinalities of a minimum feedback vertex set and a minimum connected feedback vertex set of a graph G, respectively. For a graph class G, the price of connectivity for feedback vertex set (poc-fvs) for G is defined as the maximum ratio cfvs(G)/fvs(G) over all connected graphs G in G. It is known that the poc-fvs for general graphs is unbounded. We study the poc-fvs for graph classes defined by a finite family H of forbidden induced subgraphs. We characterize exactly those finite families H for which the poc-fvs for H-free graphs is bounded by a constant. Prior to our work, such a result was only known for the case where |H|=1

Gate Oxide Reliability and Deuterated CMOS Processing

In recent literature, a controversy has arisen over the question whether deuterium improves the stability of the MOS gate dielectric. It appears as if this controversy finds its origin in the different stages (e.g. oxidation or post metal anneal) deuterium is introduced in the CMOS process. This paper investigates this in detail. The obtained results show that the hot carrier degradation only benefits from an isotope effect when deuterium is introduced in the post metal anneal. At the same time, charge to breakdown for high quality oxides does not benefit from an isotope effect, regardless of the processing stage deuterium is introduced, or the gate oxide thickness used. This is verified on two different sets of wafers fabricated in two different laboratories

The effectiveness of a large protected area to conserve a global endemism hotspot may vanish in the face of climate and land-use changes

Endemic vertebrates are a crucial component of biodiversity, yet face disproportionally high extinction risk as climate and land-use changes drive habitat loss. Large protected areas are therefore deemed necessary to mitigate biodiversity loss. In 2021, China's Giant Panda National Park (GPNP, 27,134 km(2)) was established in one of the global endemism hotspots. In this study we ask the question whether this large national park is able to conserve the many threatened endemic vertebrates occurring in the region in the face of climate and land-use changes, in order to assess the long-term effectiveness of the GPNP. We used species distribution modeling techniques to project the distributions of 40 threatened terrestrial (and freshwater) endemic vertebrates under land-use and climate change scenarios SSP2-4.5, SSP3-7.0 and SSP5-8.5 in 2081-2100, and assessed the extent to which their distributions are covered by the GPNP, now and in the future. We found that by 2081-2100, two thirds of the threatened endemic vertebrates are predicted to lose part (15-79%, N = 4) of or (nearly) their entire (80-100% loss, N = 23) range under all three climate and land-use change scenarios. Consequently, fewer species are predicted to occur in the GPNP than at present. Our findings confirm the high vulnerability of threatened endemic species to climate and land-use changes, despite protected areas. Habitat loss due to climate and land-use changes elevate extinction risk of species in endemism hotspots across the globe. Urgent, widespread and intensified mitigation measures and adaptation measures are required at a landscape scale for effective conservation efforts in the future

The Impact of Deuterated CMOS processing on Gate Oxide Reliability

In recent literature, a controversy has arisen over the question whether deuterium improves the stability of the MOS gate dielectric. In particular, the influence of deuterium incorporation on the bulk oxide quality is not clear. In this letter, deuterium or hydrogen is introduced during either the gate oxidation, postoxidation anneal, and/or the postmetal anneal (PMA). The oxide bulk degradation was evaluated using charge-to-breakdown and stress-induced leakage current; and the oxide interface degradation using hot-carrier degradation and low-frequency noise. The obtained results show that the oxide bulk does not benefit from the presence of deuterium, regardless of the stage of deuterium introduction, or the gate oxide thickness. The oxide interface is more stable only when deuterium is introduced in the PMA

Local module identification in dynamic networks with correlated noise: the full input case

The identification of local modules in dynamic networks with known topology has recently been addressed by formulating conditions for arriving at consistent estimates of the module dynamics, typically under the assumption of having disturbances that are uncorrelated over the different nodes. The conditions typically reflect the selection of a set of node signals that are taken as predictor inputs in a MISO identification setup. In this paper an extension is made to arrive at an identification setup for the situation that process noises on the different node signals can be correlated with each other. In this situation the local module may need to be embedded in a MIMO identification setup for arriving at a consistent estimate with maximum likelihood properties. This requires the proper treatment of confounding variables. The result is an algorithm that, based on the given network topology and disturbance correlation structure, selects an appropriate set of node signals as predictor inputs and outputs in a MISO or MIMO identification setup. As a first step in the analysis, we restrict attention to the (slightly conservative) situation where the selected output node signals are predicted based on all of their in-neighbor node signals in the network.Comment: Extended version of paper submitted to the 58th IEEE Conf. Decision and Control, Nice, 201

Rapid and MR-Independent IK1 activation by aldosterone during ischemia-reperfusion

In ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) context, clinical studies have shown the deleterious effect of high aldosterone levels on ventricular arrhythmia occurrence and cardiac mortality. Previous in vitro reports showed that during ischemia-reperfusion, aldosterone modulates K+ currents involved in the holding of the resting membrane potential (RMP). The aim of this study was to assess the electrophysiological impact of aldosterone on IK1 current during myocardial ischemia-reperfusion. We used an in vitro model of “border zone” using right rabbit ventricle and standard microelectrode technique followed by cell-attached recordings from freshly isolated rabbit ventricular cardiomyocytes. In microelectrode experiments, aldosterone (10 and 100 nmol/L, n=7 respectively) increased the action potential duration (APD) dispersion at 90% between ischemic and normoxic zones (from 95±4ms to 116±6 ms and 127±5 ms respectively, P<0.05) and reperfusion-induced sustained premature ventricular contractions occurrence (from 2/12 to 5/7 preparations, P<0.05). Conversely, potassium canrenoate 100 nmol/L and RU 28318 1 μmol/l alone did not affect AP parameters and premature ventricular contractions occurrence (except Vmax which was decreased by potassium canrenoate during simulated-ischemia). Furthermore, aldosterone induced a RMP hyperpolarization, evoking an implication of a K+ current involved in the holding of the RMP. Cell-attached recordings showed that aldosterone 10 nmol/L quickly activated (within 6.2±0.4 min) a 30 pS K+-selective current, inward rectifier, with pharmacological and biophysical properties consistent with the IK1 current (NPo =1.9±0.4 in control vs NPo=3.0±0.4, n=10, P<0.05). These deleterious effects persisted in presence of RU 28318, a specific MR antagonist, and were successfully prevented by potassium canrenoate, a non specific MR antagonist, in both microelectrode and patch-clamp recordings, thus indicating a MR-independent IK1 activation. In this ischemia-reperfusion context, aldosterone induced rapid and MR-independent deleterious effects including an arrhythmia substrate (increased APD90 dispersion) and triggered activities (increased premature ventricular contractions occurrence on reperfusion) possibly related to direct IK1 activation

Wirkung des Gemengeanbaus mit Körnerleguminosen sowie der Standraumzuteilung und der Saatstärke auf Kornertrag und Kornproteingehalt von Winterweizen

In stockless organic farms it is difficult to produce winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) with high protein content. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of intercropping of (i) winter wheat with either winter field bean (Vicia faba L.) or winter pea (Pisum sativum L.), (ii) the spatial arrangement (mixed, row or row-strip intercrop) and (iii) the seeding rate of the wheat (100 or 20 %) on yield formation and grain protein content. Monocropped wheat planted at a seeding rate of 20 % significantly out-yielded monocropped wheat at 100 % seeding rate because of a more efficient use of the mineral nitrogen (N) in soil. A gradient in the spatial and temporal use of mineral soil N by the wheat was found. N was available in particular from deeper soil layers during the grain filling phase in row strip intercrop trials, resulting in a higher grain protein content of the wheat. Monocropped wheat achieved mean protein content levels of 9,9 and 9,4 % at two different sites and protein content increased significantly in mixture (mean: 12,8 and 11,4 %). The highest protein content of 15,4 % was achieved with the row strip intercrop of field bean

A Comparative Perspective on Minicolumns and Inhibitory GABAergic Interneurons in the Neocortex

Neocortical columns are functional and morphological units whose architecture may have been under selective evolutionary pressure in different mammalian lineages in response to encephalization and specializations of cognitive abilities. Inhibitory interneurons make a substantial contribution to the morphology and distribution of minicolumns within the cortex. In this context, we review differences in minicolumns and GABAergic interneurons among species and discuss possible implications for signaling among and within minicolumns. Furthermore, we discuss how abnormalities of both minicolumn disposition and inhibitory interneurons might be associated with neuropathological processes, such as Alzheimer's disease, autism, and schizophrenia. Specifically, we explore the possibility that phylogenetic variability in calcium-binding protein-expressing interneuron subtypes is directly related to differences in minicolumn morphology among species and might contribute to neuropathological susceptibility in humans

Mental Health Stigma - Impact and Interventions

Research shows that negative stereotyping leads to social stigmatization of those with mental illness resulting in self-stigmatization, lower self-esteem, diminished self-efficacy, and limited access to social support and mental health services for those with mental illness. Few studies have been conducted to identify who is most predisposed to be supportive of those with mental illness and who may be willing to advocate for greater access to services. The purpose of this study is to clarify who is most open to support and advocate for those with mental illness. Responses from a sample of 48 volunteer college students to a researcher-developed survey of attitudes towards mental illness were analyzed to determine which demographic factors were related to more accepting attitudes of those with mental illness. Results yielded significant main effects for gender F (1, 47) = 5.49, p \u3c .05, and for those who have a relative with a mental illness, F (1, 47) = 17.82, p \u3c .01. Results suggest that females and relatives of those with mental illness are more accepting and could be targeted to help reduce mental health stigma by advocating for, and serving as allies to, those with mental illnesses